When VAZT set out to market, we need a branded survey experience, so we developed our own custom format. I tell you this not to pitch, but because I did not think the analysts at the big research companies would take us serious if we asked them questions via a “Survey Monkey.” Don’t get me wrong, I like Survey Monkey, but when I am pitching an 800 pound gorilla, I needed a different set of weaponry. Following David Meerman Scott’s advice, that you have to give to receive, we set off asking questions of our audience to get them engaged. Right off the bat we developed a marketing alignment, sales alignment and content readiness assessment . Asking questions that respondents need answers to works, based up our survey data, we can create actionable advice based on what our clients are telling us. At a time when publishers are becoming researchers and companies are becoming publishers, user wants and needs can be determined, all we have to do is ask.